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    Ankara

    Turkey

    Ankara

    CityCulture

    Ankara has been the capital of Turkey since October 13, 1923, and with approximately 5.9 million inhabitants, it is the country's second-largest city after Istanbul.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Turkey
    7. Central Anatolia
    9. Ankara
    Ankara has been the capital of Turkey since October 13, 1923, and with approximately 5.9 million inhabitants, it is the country's second-largest city after Istanbul. Here you'll find Atatürk's Mausoleum and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, featuring artifacts from the Hittite era; by high-speed train, you're about four hours from Istanbul. The old town of Ulus, with its Citadel and Hamamönü, is located in the north, while the modern center Kızılay and the nightlife streets around Tunalı Hilmi and Kavaklıdere are further south.

    Sights in Ankara

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Hamamönü
    Attraction

    1Hamamönü

    The district below the Citadel is named after the 1440 Karacabey Hamam. Since the 2000s, the Altındağ district has restored numerous Ottoman wooden houses here, which now house cafés, shops, and restaurants. Critics consider the reconstructions inauthentic, yet the district remains popular for a stroll.
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    Anıtkabir
    Historic Landmark

    2Anıtkabir

    Atatürk's Mausoleum stands on Anıttepe Hill, built between 1944 and 1953 to the designs of Emin Onat and Orhan Arda. You reach the Ceremonial Plaza and the Hall of Honor with the symbolic sarcophagus via the approximately 262-meter-long Lion Road. Under the Mausoleum, the Museum of Atatürk and the War of Independence exhibits documents and personal items. Admission is free.
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    Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi)
    Castle

    3Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi)

    The castle crowns a rock around 150 meters above the city, its origins dating back to the Phrygians. The present inner and outer walls, featuring many reused ancient stones, were constructed after the 7th-century Persian conquest. Within the walls lies a district of old houses, and from the towers, you can survey all of Ankara.
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    Kocatepe-Mosque
    Mosque

    4Kocatepe-Mosque

    The mosque in the Kızılay district was built between 1967 and 1987 in a neo-Ottoman style, inspired by models such as the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. It accommodates 24,000 worshippers; its four minarets are each 88 meters high. Its location makes it visible from many parts of the city center.
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    Augustus Temple
    Attraction

    5Augustus Temple

    The Temple for Augustus and the goddess Roma likely originated around 25 BC on the Acropolis of ancient Ankyra. It is famous for the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, the account of the emperor's deeds in Latin and Greek on its walls. Directly adjacent to the temple is the Hacı Bayram Mosque from 1427/28; you can only see the temple from outside the barrier.
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    Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
    Museum

    6Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

    The museum at the foot of the citadel displays finds from the Paleolithic Age to the Classical period, including objects from the Hittite capital Hattuşa. The exhibition is housed in the Ottoman Mahmut-Paşa-Bedesten, which has ten domes, while the administration is in the adjacent Kurşunlu Han. In 1997, it was awarded European Museum of the Year.
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    Restaurants in Ankara

    1

    Hatipoğlu Mansion

    The restaurant, set in an old mansion inside the Citadel, serves traditional Turkish cuisine. From the terrace, you get city views.
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    2

    Trilye

    One of the capital's best-known fish restaurants, featuring fish and seafood from the Turkish coast. The menu includes the catch of the day, cold seafood appetisers, and Keşkek with calamari.
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    3

    Boğaziçi Restaurant

    The restaurant in Ulus has been serving traditional Turkish cuisine for decades. Around Ulus, you'll also find Ankara Tava, the city's typical rice noodle dish.
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    Food & Beverages

    Ankara's cuisine is down-to-earth; you'll find traditional eateries mainly in Ulus and Hamamönü.

    Ankara Tava

    Rice noodles with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic and cumin, served with lamb.

    Ankara Döner

    Döner from regional lamb, cooked over oak charcoal and served with flatbread and salad.

    Ekmek Kadayıfı

    Bread pudding soaked in syrup with Kaymak. In Ankara, it's layered like a cake.

    Ankara Simidi

    Sesame rings, a typical snack food enjoyed in the capital.

    Culture & History

    Ancient AnkyraAnkyra served as the capital of the Celtic Galatians and, from 25 BC, of the Roman province of Galatia. The Temple of Augustus, featuring the Deeds of the Emperor, dates from this period. The Citadel originated as a Phrygian fortification and was repeatedly renovated under the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans.Capital of the RepublicOn October 13, 1923, Ankara replaced Istanbul as the capital, and two weeks later, the Republic was proclaimed. Atatürk was laid to rest at Anıtkabir on November 10, 1953, followed by his successor İsmet İnönü in 1973. The Kocatepe Mosque, completed in 1987, defines the skyline of the modern city centre.AngoraThe city's ancient name lives on in Angora wool, the Angora goat (source of mohair), and the Angora cat.

    Nightlife

    1

    Hayyami

    Bar and restaurant in Kavaklıdere, where meze and drinks are served in the evenings.
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    2

    IF Performance Hall

    Club and concert venue in Kavaklıdere with popular DJs and bands. Quieter on weekdays, it gets busy after 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.
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    Getting Here & Around

    Getting ThereEsenboğa Airport: It's located about 30 kilometres outside. There's no rail connection yet. Havaş buses travel in around 45 to 60 minutes to AŞTİ Bus Terminal.YHT High-Speed Train: To Istanbul, you'll need about four hours; to Konya, a good two hours.In the CityThe Ankaray light rail is the backbone in the centre. From the train station, it's about a 600-metre walk to Maltepe station. Bus line 442 shuttles between AŞTİ Bus Terminal, Kızılay and the airport. Ulus, with its Citadel, Museum and Hamamönü, is closely grouped and can be explored on foot.TipPlan enough time for Anıtkabir and its museum, and it's best to visit in the morning.

    Accommodations in Ankara

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      • 1Hamamönü3 days
      • 2Anıtkabir4 days
      • 3Ankara Citadel (Ankara Kalesi)5 days
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    Nearby

    Central Anatolia

    Central Anatolia

    Central Anatolia is the highland in the heart of Turkey, stretching from the capital Ankara to Konya in the south. Here lie Hattuşa, the capital of the Hittites, Seljuk buildings and the Mevlana Museum in Konya, as well as Atatürk's Mausoleum in Ankara. High-speed trains connect the major cities with Istanbul.
    Safranbolu

    Safranbolu

    Safranbolu, roughly 200 km north of Ankara in the Black Sea hinterland, is known for its Ottoman timber-framed houses. Its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994, is one of the country's best-preserved urban landscapes. The historic core is Eski Çarşı; new town shops are in Kıranköy. This city of around 53,000 residents is best explored on foot.
    Hattuşa

    Hattuşa

    From approximately 1650 BC, Hattuşa served as the Hittite capital and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1986. The ruins are situated near Boğazkale in Çorum Province, approximately two hours by car east of Ankara. City walls, the Lion and Sphinx Gates, the Great Temple, and the Yazılıkaya rock sanctuary reveal how the Hittites built and worshipped their gods.
    Göreme

    Göreme

    Göreme is a town with around 2,000 inhabitants in the center of Cappadocia, surrounded by valleys full of fairy chimneys. Here you'll find the open-air museum with its rock-cut churches and hiking trails through Rose, Red, and Love Valley, above which hot-air balloons glide at sunrise. Many old cave houses are now hotels; Uçhisar and Çavuşin can be reached on foot through the valleys.
    Cappadocia

    Cappadocia

    Cappadocia lies in Anatolia's heart, about an hour's flight from Istanbul, on a high plateau over 1,000 meters. Fairy chimneys, rock-cut churches with Byzantine frescoes, and underground cities make it one of Turkey's most famous destinations. Göreme National Park and Cappadocia's Rock Sites are UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1985.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Pexels, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI